Pennsylvania Wage Garnishment Calculator
Pennsylvania wages are exempt from ordinary creditor judgments. The listed exceptions include support, divorce, board for four weeks or less, student loans owed to PHEAA, criminal restitution and residential-lease judgments.
Section 8127’s general exemption
The wages, salaries and commissions of individuals shall while in the hands of the employer be exempt from any attachment, execution or other process except upon an action or proceeding
The exceptions, one by one
- A landlord with a final judgment on a residential lease can attach up to 10% of net wages per pay period, but not enough to drop your net income below the federal poverty guideline — whichever is less.§1
- For lease judgments, "net wages" are wages less income taxes, FICA and mandatory retirement, union dues and health insurance premiums.§1
- The landlord must first deduct any forfeited security deposit not already applied to rent.§1
- Credit card, medical and personal-loan judgments are not on the exception list.§1
A Pittsburgh landlord’s judgment
A Pittsburgh tenant paid $1,800.00 every two weeks, with $240.00 in taxes and a $110.00 health premium, owes a former landlord. Net wages under the lease exception are $1,450.00; 10% is $145.00, and the poverty guideline for a two-person household ($21,640.00 a year) is not threatened, so the attachment is $145.00. A credit-card creditor could take nothing from the same check.